Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice mix made from dried thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds, gives these roasted chickpeas a fragrant, herbal, tangy bite. Unlike other similar recipes, the chickpeas are roasted without any oil, which is added after they come out of the oven. This allows the peas to crisp up without turning greasy. Do make sure to dry them out for an hour as directed, which adds to their crunchy texture. It’s hard to stop eating these once you start, so if you’re serving these to a group, consider making a double batch.

Preparation

Spread out chickpeas on a paper towel. Pat dry, then let dry for about an hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a heavy rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper, and spread chickpeas evenly on the pan. Bake in the center of the oven until crunchy, about 30 minutes, stirring and rotating every 10 minutes. (The chickpeas will continue to get crunchy as they cool.)

Place hot chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, za’atar and salt. Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.

Hungry for more recipes?

Get recipes, tips and special offers in your inbox. Opt out or contact us anytime.

Get Our Newsletter

Get recipes, tips and NYT special offers delivered straight to your inbox. Opt out or contact us anytime.

Please enter a valid email address.

Follow Cooking

Cooking For iPad & iPhone

About Us

NYT Cooking is a subscription service of The New York Times. It is a digital cookbook and cooking guide alike, available on all platforms, that helps home cooks of every level discover, save and organize the world’s best recipes, while also helping them become better, more competent cooks. Subscribe now for full access.